Find answers to common questions regarding COVID-19 and OSU's response. Questions and answers are updated frequently, so check back often for more information.
Eighty hours of paid leave is federally mandated. Eighty hours of leave is available to all OSU employees, regardless of the funding source that provides salary (e.g. state funding, grant funding, gift or alternative funding). Individuals paid on grants will be entitled to the leave in the same way as other OSU employees, and their salary should continue to be charged to the grant and other indices per allowability guidelines regardless of usage of COVID leave or other leave.
If an alternative funding mechanism materializes at a future date, we will assist in moving labor charges as appropriate, but no such funding mechanism is currently available.
The total amount of COVID-19 leave hours will be pro-rated by FTE or average hours worked for part time employees.
All OSU employees:
Employees who are not able to perform their duties remotely and cannot be reassigned to other work for the sponsored project and have exhausted COVID-19 Leave, accrued paid leave and any supplemental programs (as listed below), cannot continue to get paid for work that has not been rendered. This applies to all sources of salary funding (state, gift, grant, other funding). If you believe that you or an employee will be in this situation, please contact your Human Resources (HR) Strategic Partner.
OSU research employees:
OSU encourages principal investigators and research supervisors to identify meaningful work for research employees that brings value to the university’s mission and advances a research project and scholarship. During the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the extent possible, PIs and supervisors should reassign graduate research assistants, research associates and faculty research assistants to undertake work that might fall outside of an originally intended work plan but still is in keeping with the intent of the project or grant and advances their research.
Research facilities are only currently open and available as specified in formally approved individual research resumption plans. Researchers should consult with their principal investigators, department heads, deans or the vice president for research, as appropriate, to learn more. Research resumption guidance and the formal research resumption request form can be accessed at the COVID-19 Safety & Success for Researchers website.
OSU is keeping track of any leave that a grant-funded employee used because they could not work due to COVID-19 so that the costs on grants due to the COVID-19 crisis can be documented and communicated. Employees who are not able to perform their duties remotely and have exhausted COVID-19 leave should use accrued sick leave and vacation (when applicable). For more details, see details on the HR COVID-19 Leave page.
If an employee is using accrued sick, vacation of other leave (other than COVID-19) because they cannot perform their duties due to COVID-19, they should indicate this when recording the leave (see instructions).
Until further notice, all non-essential domestic and international OSU-sponsored travel remains suspended. The process for requesting exceptions is addressed in a separate question.
For domestic travel, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown indicates that it is essential for the health, safety and welfare of the state of Oregon during the ongoing state of emergency that individuals continue to stay at or near their home or place of residence when possible. Please check the Oregon Health Authority and Office of the Governor for the most current guidance and restrictions in Oregon. Here are considerations for domestic travelers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We further encourage travelers to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation while away.
For international travel, OSU remains under a travel suspension, which applies regardless of the CDC Notice or State Department Advisory Level. When the OSU travel suspension is revised or lifted, considerations will be made according to the OSU International Travel Policy, the then-current CDC and State notices and advisories, as well as changing pandemic-related travel conditions.
We are very much looking forward to resuming international travel as soon as conditions allow. Please contact the OSU Office of Global Opportunities (OSUGO) for the most current information on the status of study abroad programs and international travel destinations, new virtual options, or to petition for an exemption to the travel suspension.
Please also be aware that countries are implementing various international and internal movement restrictions and enforcing curfews, which could significantly limit your ability to travel freely during the pandemic.
Commercial air travel options can be very limited to and from certain locations. The best resources for inquiries about flight availability are individual air carriers serving each country or a private travel agency.
Please follow these standard precautions whether traveling domestically or internationally:
CDC Testing and International Air Travel Recommendations
While Traveling
Travel Health Precautions
U.S. Inbound international Travel
Updated Jan. 25, 2021
Until further notice, all non-essential domestic and international OSU-travel remains suspended.
Current locations with restrictions on entering the U.S. from international travel can be found in the White House Proclamation and at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
For information about travel restrictions between Canada, Mexico and the USA, please reference the Department of Homeland Security Fact Sheet.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance for those returning to the U.S. from abroad can be found at CDC After Travel Precautions.
The COVID-19 leave will be paid and charged to departments under the same process as current sick leave. Grants will be responsible for this unanticipated expense.
There may be situations where you find that a grant-funded student or staff member is not able to perform their duties, and you may have questions about continuing to charge their time to your grant. Under these conditions, the staff member should utilize the federally-mandated 80-hour COVID leave. Note that, following OSU leave policies, the leave will be applied proportionally to all indices associated with the labor distribution of the staff member, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, gift, or other funds.
If an employee has used up their COVID leave and all other leave balances but still cannot perform their duties, please contact your assigned Human Resources Strategic Partner or a member of the Employee and Labor Relations Team to discuss the details of the situation.
Non-emergency phone: 541-737-7211
Oregon Health Authority: Dial 211
Non-emergency questions and concerns form
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and have symptoms, stay home; avoid close contact with others; and contact your health care provider, Student Health Services, or an emergency medical care provider.